Refurbished bicycles, or the taste of freedom

Refurbished bicycles, or the taste of freedom
Refurbished bicycles, or the taste of freedom

IHe could no longer stand seeing people throw away their bikes without scruple. So, Tristan Brunet decided to take action. In 2018, this Dacquois founded Les Bicyclettes reconditionnées. Since then, in his workshop located at 21, rue Thore, he has given new life to all kinds of bicycles which he repairs before putting them on sale, and offers his repair services to local cyclists.

Before opening his business, Tristan had worked in large sports stores, in specialized stores and in fairly high-end Parisian boutiques. “Coming back to the Landes, I said to myself: ‘Why not collect old bikes, refurbish them and sell them?’”.

In seven years, this mechanic has acquired a reputation which allows his business to function well, even if for him the main thing does not lie in economic success: “As long as I manage to earn a salary which allows me to feed my child, everything is fine,” he smiled.

A “fascination” for cycling

There is no question of perceiving cycling as a business: “I am not going to inflate my repair quotes to sell new bikes, like many big brands do. My goal is to repair,” explains the man who takes care to recycle as many spare parts as possible to reduce the cost of repairs. “If I opened my workshop, it was because I could no longer stand seeing people throwing away their old bikes. »

“From the age of 11 I had fun taking apart my bikes. Then my parents had to pay a fortune to bring it all back together.”

Repairing a bicycle, the 33-year-old man learned to do on the job, from the mechanics with whom he worked, but not only that. His curiosity for this unique art dates back to his childhood: “From the age of 11 I had fun taking apart my bikes,” smiles the craftsman. Then my parents had to pay a fortune to get everything back together. » Why such a hobby? “By fascination with the object,” says Tristan.

“Be curious”

When he opened his shop, Tristan mainly sold old bikes, which he collected and refurbished. Over time, the core of its activity has mainly shifted to repair. “I repair all types of bikes, from the oldest to the most modern,” he says. A complex know-how, because the bicycle is far from being an object frozen in time. “You have to be curious about what was done before and always learn what will be done later,” he notes.

The easiest bikes to repair? “Those from the 2000s,” the man replies without hesitation. Today's bikes are more complex and time-consuming, and old bikes are tinkered with all over the place, which also makes it more difficult. »


Behind the scenes of the Reconditioned Bicycles workshop.

Amaury Dollez

In his workshop, where old and modern bicycles rub shoulders with the religiously inspired paintings that his friends gave him and the photos that bear witness to his passion for photography, it is the entire philosophy of life of this self-taught repairer that seems to take shape.

For him, nothing is more important than the feeling of freedom that craftsmanship gives him: “I like being alone in my workshop, with my music,” he confesses without looking up from the brake cable that he applies himself to repair. A vision of a simple and peaceful life that Tristan strives to bring into existence through his profession.

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